Lit Terms

Assonance

The repetition of vowel sounds within nearby words, often used to create rhythm or enhance musicality in poetry and prose.

Antecedent

A word, phrase, or clause that is referred to by a pronoun; it establishes a relationship in language and can clarify meaning

Ballad

A form of narrative poetry that tells a story, often in straightforward and dramatic manner, typically featuring themes of love, tragedy, or adventure.

Burlesque

A humorous or satirical imitation of a serious work, often exaggerating characteristics for comic effect; can also refer to a performance that parodies or mocks societal norms.

Parallelism

A rhetorical device that involves the repetition of grammatical structures, phrases, or ideas to create rhythm and enhance clarity or impact.

Subjunctive Mood

A verb form used to express wishes, hypothetical situations, or conditions contrary to fact, often seen in clauses beginning with "if" or "wish."

Utopia

An imagined perfect society or place where everything is ideal, often used in literature to explore themes of perfection and social critique.

Tragic Flaw

A character trait or weakness that ultimately leads to the downfall of a tragic hero, often resulting in significant consequences.

Travesty

A distorted or exaggerated representation of a serious subject, often mocking or satirizing the original work or theme

Subjunctive Mood

A verb form used to express wishes, hypothetical situations, or conditions contrary to fact, often seen in clauses beginning with "if" or "wish."

Stock Characters

Stereotypical characters who are easily recognizable and often recur in various works, such as the "dumb jock" or "wise old mentor."

Simile

A figure of speech that compares two different things using "like" or "as," highlighting similarities in a vivid way.

Persona

The voice or character created by an author to narrate a work, which may differ from the author's own personality or views.

Parallelism

A rhetorical device that involves the repetition of grammatical structures, phrases, or ideas to create rhythm and enhance clarity or impact.

Metaphor

A figure of speech that makes a direct comparison between two unrelated things by stating that one is the other, thus highlighting similarities.

Inversion

A literary technique involving the reversal of the normal order of words in a sentence, often used for emphasis or to maintain a particular rhythm.

Interior Monologue

A narrative technique that conveys a character's inner thoughts and feelings, often revealing their motivations and emotional state.

Feminine Rhyme

A rhyme that involves two or more syllables, with the final syllable being unstressed; for example, "waking" and "baking."

Epic

A lengthy narrative poem that recounts the adventures and deeds of heroic figures, often involving grand themes and cultural significance.

Dirge

A mournful song or poem, typically written in remembrance of someone who has died, often expressing sorrow and lamentation.